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Amber Langdon and Leah Buchanan are bikini models and baristas at Perky Cups in Aurora.

Ed Sealover

Jason Bernal never thought of coffee as a sexy product — until he saw a television show that mentioned Seattle-area bikini baristas.

So he took a leap, ran with the concept and opened Perky Cups in Aurora. In doing so, he became part of a trend in which Denver-area purveyors spice up normally mundane products such as java, haircuts or sports-bar burgers by having women wearing bathing suits, lingerie or halter tops and kilts doing the serving.

Merchants and marketing experts say there’s no research proving Americans turn to skin-touting businesses more often during economic downturns than in boom economies. But businesses have found new and daring ways to attract attention during the recession — and adding a touch of sexiness is a prime way to do that, several say.

“If push comes to shove, their basic survival is at risk, so you’ll see people get very creative and push the edge and do things that we might not otherwise find tasteful,” said Peter Whalen, assistant professor of marketing at the University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business. “I don’t think that gives them a competitive advantage per se. It does give them a point of communication to get people in the door.”

But at least three area businesses who use sex appeal say that’s helping revenue during a bleak time for retail.

Bernal, also a real estate investor, took over an old Peaberry Coffee shop that he said had brought in $1,500 daily. His enticingly dressed female servers helped him surpass that figure by “quite a bit” during his opening days of Nov. 20- 21, drawing both former Peaberry customers and new walks-ins — particularly men who said they usually get their java at convenience stores and gas stations but would never go back to them.

Perky Cups, located in a shopping center at 12101 E. Iliff Ave., takes the most tongue-in-cheek approach to its sexuality, offering coffee in A, B, C and D-sized cups (with 32-ounce DD cups on the way soon). It has theme days, such as “cowgirls” and “school girl,” and plans to offer “frozen hotties” frozen drinks soon.

One woman left the store during opening weekend after telling the servers she wouldn’t return until they put some clothes on, Bernal said. Otherwise, he’s reported no negative reaction, a female customer percentage of about 30 percent and satisfaction from male customers who appreciate the baristas’ “flirty” attitude.

The client base of A Little Off the Top, a men’s salon where female hairstylists and masseuses offer services in lingerie, is “99.4 percent male,” said Johnny Wilson of Denver-based Franchise Management Group, a franchising consultant to the company.

Co-owner Nita Williams, who bought a floundering Englewood lingerie salon two years ago and since has opened two more metro-area locations in Aurora and Arvada, said they’ve learned to be more discreet about the sexuality.

A Little Off The Top still runs newspaper ads that focus on the lingerie rather than the quality haircut; Williams said that remains key to getting people through the door. But as Wilson has begun seeking national franchisees, he’s changed the pitch from a salon with models in “lingerie” to one where they sport “sexy attire” because the former term conjured up the wrong image in many people’s minds, he said.

Wilson and Williams said the salon has been able to succeed in a recession because some people view it as an escape from the real world. While Williams believes better times are ahead, she argues the flat-screen televisions showing sports at every haircut and manicure station, as well as the lightly dressed employees, have given it a competitive advantage.

The Tilted Kilt, a Celtic-themed sports bar featuring waitresses in midriff-baring halter tops, plaid skirts and knee-high stockings, plays its sexuality more subtly — or at least its local franchisee does.

While the website for the Tempe, Ariz.-based chain blares ads for its Kilt Girl calendar and calls itself “The Best Looking Sports Pub You Ever Saw,” Mark Voss insists that’s just one part of the pub’s personality.

An equal number of people come for the 34 plasma-screen televisions showing sports and for the burgers, Voss said. And while the waitresses’ appearances may catch some eyes, he insists the staff’s greatest appeal comes from a company training program that stresses being outgoing and smiling at customers.

Voss doesn’t deny his crowd, which has been about 60 percent male since the pub opened on Nov. 11 in the Tabor Center, comes in partially because of the outfits. But he said the sports, food and atmosphere also help attract and keep customers.

“Does it help? Absolutely. Is it the only reason people are here? Absolutely not,” Voss said when asked if the wait staff’s outfits gave him an advantage over other downtown sports bars. “Obviously, it’s a part of the difference that gets people’s attention. But we also know that’s good for one guest visit. We want people coming back because they had a great time.”

All three businesses acknowledged that while the attire may sell them initially, they also must provide a good product — especially if charging more than other coffee or haircut shops — to stay vigorous.

The search for employees is more targeted than for most other jobs. The three businesses specifically seek beautiful, younger female workers: Perky Cups seeks bikini models rather than baristas, The Tilted Kilt has “casting calls” for roles to be played, and A Little Off the Top warns that lingerie is mandatory and that a significant part of employee pay comes from tips.

Because the overt sexuality of such businesses will cause some to stay away, entrepreneurs must ask if the product is popular enough and profitable enough to withstand the loss of many customers, Whalen said. But for those who question their sustainability, he points to the successful and now mainstream model established in 26 years by Hooters restaurants.

“Thirty years ago, I don’t think that chicken wings and half-nude girls would gain credibility and traction the way it has, but it’s succeeded,” Whalen said.

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